Chapter 7: The Second Child
I read the document four times.
Two babies.
Twenty-four years ago, Claire had given birth to twins.
One was Emily.
The other had been transferred into private custody under my wife's authorization.
I looked at Dr. Whitmore.
“Where is the second child?””
He slowly removed his glasses.
“I don't know.””
“Don't give me that answer. You have the records. You know where the child went.””
“The records were altered. The original transfer authorization lists a private guardian, but the identity section was deliberately removed.””
“Who removed it?””
“I cannot say.””
I grabbed the document.
“Then tell me what you can.””
Dr. Whitmore hesitated before pointing to a handwritten reference number.
“This number belongs to an external placement agency. It was used to arrange private guardianship for children whose circumstances required confidentiality.””
“Why would my child require confidentiality?””
He looked uncomfortable.
“Because the original declaration raised questions about paternity.””
I stared at him.
“Marcus again?””
He nodded.
I felt a wave of nausea.
For years, I had believed my brother had betrayed me by having an affair with my wife.
Now I was discovering that he might have helped decide which of my children would be allowed to exist in my life.
I placed the document inside my jacket.
“Give me the agency's name.””
Dr. Whitmore wrote it on a piece of paper.
“There's one more thing, Mr. Reed.””
I stopped.
“The second child wasn't registered as deceased.””
My heart began pounding.
“What?””
“The child was transferred alive. There was a discharge record.””
“Then where is the child?””
“I don't know.””
He looked at the document again.
“But the transfer was authorized by someone who had legal responsibility for the newborn.””
“Claire.””
“Yes.””
I left the hospital without saying goodbye.
The drive home felt endless.
Every traffic light seemed determined to keep me trapped inside my own thoughts.
Emily.
The second child.
Jordan.
Maya.
My brother.
My wife.
How many lives had been rearranged while I was busy believing I was building a family?
When I arrived home, the front door was open.
I heard voices inside.
Claire was arguing with someone.
“You promised me the records were gone!””
Marcus answered.
“I thought they were.””
“You thought? That's what you told me ten years ago!””
I stepped inside.
Both of them turned.
Claire was standing beside the kitchen island with an open suitcase at her feet.
Marcus held a stack of papers.
Neither spoke.
I slowly closed the front door.
“Good. Everyone's here.””
Claire's face tightened.
“Arthur, this isn't a good time.””
“It's never a good time when someone asks you a question.””
Marcus placed the papers on the counter.
“Where have you been?””
“At the hospital.””
Claire's expression changed.
“What did you find?””
“Twins.””
She closed her eyes.
Marcus looked away.
I approached her.
“Two babies, Claire. You gave birth to two children, and you let me believe we lost one.””
She started crying.
“I didn't know what else to do.””
“That's not an explanation.””
“The situation was complicated.””
“Then make it simple. Where is my second child?””
Claire shook her head.
“I don't know.””
I slammed my hand against the counter.
“Stop saying that!””
Jordan appeared at the staircase.
Nia and Maya stood behind him.
All three had heard us.
Claire looked toward them.
“Go upstairs.””
Jordan didn't move.
“No.””
“Jordan, please.””
“No, Mom. We're done being sent away whenever the truth becomes inconvenient.””
I looked at my son.
He held a brown envelope.
“Dad, this is what I found in her suitcase.””
He handed it to me.
Inside was a payment agreement.
The amount was $200,000.
The recipient was a woman named Helen Carter.
I looked at Claire.
“Who is Helen Carter?””
Her face went completely white.
Marcus answered.
“She was the second child's guardian.””
I turned toward him.
“You knew?””
He nodded.
“Where is she?””
“She died six years ago.””
I looked back at the agreement.
“Then who raised my child?””
Marcus hesitated.
“Her husband.””
Claire suddenly grabbed the document.
“Arthur, you need to understand. We didn't have a choice.””
I pulled it away.
“You had choices. You chose to lie.””
She began crying harder.
“You weren't supposed to know about the twins.””
“Why?””
Marcus stepped forward.
“Because the second child wasn't biologically yours.””
I went still.
“What?””
He looked directly at me.
“The medical records confirmed it. Both babies were mine.””
Jordan took a step backward.
Maya covered her mouth.
Nia whispered, “Oh my God.””
I looked at Marcus.
“So you fathered three children with my wife?””
He nodded.
“And you helped give two of them away?””
His eyes filled.
“I didn't know what else to do.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You keep saying that as though you were trapped. You weren't trapped, Marcus. You were making decisions while I was raising children who believed I was their father.””
Claire sank into a chair.
“I was terrified you would leave.””
I looked at her.
“You should have been terrified of what your lies would do to the children.””
She covered her face.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Maya stepped forward.
“Dad, there's something else.””
I turned.
She held her phone.
“Emily sent me a message.””
I took it.
The message was short.
*I found something in my adoptive father's old files. I think I know who the second baby is.*
Below it was an attachment.
A photograph of an old hospital bracelet.
The name printed on it was barely visible.
But the date was clear.
So was the handwritten identification number.
I looked at Daniel's earlier document.
The numbers matched.
Then another message appeared.
*I don't think the second child was adopted by strangers. I think someone in your family raised them.*
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“Who?””
Maya looked at me.
“Emily says she's coming tomorrow. She wants to tell us in person.””
Marcus suddenly shook his head.
“No.””
I turned toward him.
“What do you mean, no?””
He stepped closer.
“You cannot let her come here.””
“Why?””
“Because if she tells you what she found, everything will fall apart.””
I stared at him.
“Everything has already fallen apart.””
He looked toward Jordan.
Then Nia.
Then Maya.
Finally, he whispered:
“The second child is someone you see almost every day.””
My heart stopped.
May you like
I turned slowly toward my children.
And for the first time, I wondered whether the secret had been standing in front of me all along.
